Planning is underway for the 10th Anniversary of the New Hampshire Water & Watershed Conference on March 24, 2017 at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. Each year, this popular event addresses current issues around our water resources and watersheds. The conference will feature a plenary speaker, approximately 30 talks, and a poster session.

10 Years of NHWWC Sessions. By Carolyn Greenough

The event will focus on what has transpired during the past ten years as well as what we might expect during the next ten and beyond. We seek synthesis talks on the following topics:

Policy Impacts and Implications

Climate Change: Too Much Water; Too Little Water

Technological Advances in Watershed Research and Management

Nonpoint vs Point Source Pollutants

Public Outreach

Grey and Green Infrastructure

Legacy Issues

If you are interested in presenting a talk or poster at the NHWWC, please visit the Call for Abstracts page. Abstracts are due December 19, 2017. Conference registration will be available in mid-January 2017.

The 2017 NHWWC is organized by a group of people from a variety of organizations and hosted by the Center for the Environment at Plymouth State University.

]]>The arrival of spring is changing in New Hampshirehttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4922/the-arrival-of-spring-is-changing-in-new-hampshire/
Mon, 07 Nov 2016 14:36:32 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4922Spring is but a distant memory but in a few months, as winter fades, temperatures will rise, ice will melt and frost heaves will buckle our roads. Scientists refer to the transition from winter to the growing season as the “vernal window” and a new study shows it’s changing.

New Hampshire researchers investigating how climate change influences the transition from winter to spring looked at the date at which certain events occur that mark the seasonal transition, such as the melting of snow and the emergence of leaves in trees, as well as the lag period between these events. Their findings, published in the November issue of the scientific journal Global Change Biology, show that temperature and the amount of snowfall each year are key drivers to the timing of these events.

Scientists with NH EPSCoR’s Ecosystems & Society, including hydrologist Mark Green from the Center for the Environment, project created a linked network of water and soil sensors and monitored snow and the forest canopy for three years. The research team supplemented this information with climate data and satellite data and with precipitation and stream data collected by more than 100 volunteers across the state.

“Spring could be as long as a few months or as short as a few weeks depending on where you are,” said Alix Contosta, a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire’s Earth Systems Research Center. “You have snow melting and lots of water moving through aquatic systems, nutrients flushing through the water, soils warming up, and buds breaking on trees. What we were really interested in, for our work, was not just looking at the timing but also how climate affects the lag between each of these events.”

“Something striking happens after a very cold winter or when there’s been a lot of snow. Things wake up all together, which is why spring can be so dramatic,” said Contosta. In New Hampshire, as in other areas of North America, the amount of spring snow cover has declined significantly in the past 30 years and the rate at which snow melts has accelerated. Warmer winters with less snow result in longer delays between spring events.

“It has been documented in our region that climate change is being felt more in the winter months,” said Mark Green, hydrologist and associate professor at Plymouth State University.

A changing timetable for spring could have potential ecological, social and economic consequences such as a longer mud season with increased weight restrictions on roads or a shift in the duration of the sugar maple season. “New Hampshire has all these dirt roads that maintain the rural landscape and muddier roads means more upkeep and maintenance, more investment in trying to keep the roads in decent shape,” said Green. “When the ground is frozen that helps, and when the trees are green and firing with photosynthesis they are also using a lot of water and that keeps the roads dry. It’s that in-between period where it’s an issue.”

Agriculture and fisheries are highly dependent on timing and specific springtime climate conditions. Outdoor recreation might change if there are longer periods between ice cover and open water fishing and between snowmobiling and all-terrain vehicle seasons.

This work was supported by award EPS-1101245 from the National Science Foundation. NH EPSCoR developed this story.

]]>Fall 2016 Environmental Science Colloquiumhttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4865/fall-2016-environmental-science-colloquium/
Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:45:02 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4865The Center for the Environment announces speakers for the Fall 2016 Environmental Science Colloquium. The Colloquium series is for students, faculty, and the public and we invite all to come hear the latest on environmental science topics of interest to our region. The Colloquium presentations are held at 4-5 pm in Boyd Science Center, Room 001. We look forward to seeing you! For more information, please contact June Hammond Rowan.

September 28: Uncertainties in Detecting Decadal Change in Soil Carbon and Extractable Elements in Northern Forests – Olivia Bartlett, Department of Social Science, Plymouth State University & PhD candidate, Natural Resources and Earth System Sciences, University of New Hampshire

October 12: Got data? Using data to drive environmental public health planning and policy – Kathleen F. Bush, Senior Management Analyst, Bureau of Public Health Statistics and Informatics, NH DHHS/DPHS and Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University

October 26: Climate Communication Challenges for Meteorologists – Lisa Doner, Environmental Science & Policy Department and Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University

November 9: The 25-year Anniversary of the Perfect Storm – Jason Cordeira, Assistant Professor of Meteorology, Department of Atmospheric Science and Chemistry and Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University

]]>Two Master’s students Awarded Plan NH Scholarshipshttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4844/two-masters-students-awarded-plan-nh-scholarships/
Tue, 12 Jul 2016 13:50:21 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4844Plymouth State University students Carolyn Greenough and Laura Getts have been awarded 2016 Plan NH scholarships. Plan NH’s Scholarship and Fellowship Program recognizes and honors outstanding New Hampshire students who are interested in aspects of the built environment and its impacts on the social, economic, and/or environmental capital of a community. Both Greenough and Getts are graduate students studying Environmental Science and Policy and work with PSU’s Center for the Environment.

Greenough is researching viewshed alterations due to land development and large scale energy generation and transmission projects in the Lakes and White Mountain Regions of New Hampshire. These regions have a strong sense of community, have been a favorite recreational destination for many generations, and have an economy largely based around tourism. While energy needs are real, cultural ecosystem services can be diminished by such development projects. Her work will help understand the variety of values citizens and stakeholders hold regarding viewsheds, which alterations are acceptable, and what balances can be struck.

Greenough noted, “I am extremely grateful for the support given to me by Plan NH. I feel so fortunate to have been selected as a recipient for this honor.” Greenough’s work is also part of the Ecosystem and Society project of the NH EPSCoR Program through their National Science Foundation’s Research Infrastructure Improvement Award # EPS 1101245.

Dr. Shannon Rogers, who serves as Greenough’s advisor, said “We, at Plymouth State and the Center for the Environment, are committed to community engaged scholarship that addresses local needs and values, such as this viewshed project. We are very grateful for Plan NH’s growing support of environmental policy work that impacts New Hampshire’s communities and built environments.”

Getts has been working collaboratively with off-campus partners, including the Central New Hampshire Bicycling Coalition, Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, Foundation for Healthy Communities, NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT), and several regional planning commissions, to assess active transportation statewide with a focus on bikability. Laura’s research approach, funded in part by Foundation for Healthy Communities, NH Charitable Foundation, and Bike-Walk Alliance of NH, blends a combination of spatial analysis, modeling, and, soon to be included, public surveys and participatory mapping in GIS to assess patterns of current biking activity and identify potential barriers to access and participation in active transportation options. With this support from PlanNH and new funding from NHDOT, Getts and her research partners aim to inform NHDOT, regional planning commissions, and towns across New Hampshire about the current status of biking as well as identify network gaps and barriers to use which will hopefully lead to a more sustainable transportation network in the state.

In support of Getts’s application, Dr. Amy Villamagna noted “I am consistently impressed with Gett’s caliber of work, her incredible work ethic, maturity, attention to detail, enthusiasm, and aptitude. She has quickly proven herself to be a strong leader in statewide bikability and sustainable communities research.” When notified of the scholarship award, Villamagna added, “I am delighted that Plan NH has recognized the incredible commitment to sustainable planning shared by both of our students. They truly represent the future of New Hampshire sustainability.”

]]>June 22: “Changing Climate, Changing Forests” Talk by Dr. Lindsey Rustadhttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4834/june-22-changing-climate-changing-forests-talk-by-lindsey-rustad/
Tue, 24 May 2016 20:12:10 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4834The Center for the Environment and Plymouth State’s Museum of the White Mountains are co-hosting a talk on June 22, 2016 at 4:30 – 5:30 pm by Dr. Lindsey Rustad on “Changing Climate, Changing Forests: Linking global and local perspectives on how a changing climate sculpts forests of New Hampshire.” Rustad is a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station and Team Leader for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Her talk is part of “Taking the Lead: Women and the White Mountains,” an exhibit at the Museum of the White Mountains.

Rustad will discuss her latest research on climate change and the Northern Forest. She is interested in human-made disturbances on forested ecosystems in New England, especially as it applies to climate change. Her work integrates a wide range of data into a unified multidisciplinary approach to understanding ecosystem response to global change. Most recently, Rustad has led a forest-based experiment simulating ice storms to help understand the impacts of these events on the forest.

Please visit the Museum of the White Mountains (34 Highland Street, Plymouth) before the talk. It opens at 10 am on June 22 and will remain open until 7 pm on the day of Dr. Rustad’s presentation. The talk will be held in Heritage Commons, Samuel Read Hall Building (28 Highland Street, enter on campus side of building) on June 22 at 4:30 pm. Both the talk and the Museum are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact June Hammond Rowan or Rebecca Enman.

]]>Upcoming Research Presentationshttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4832/upcoming-research-presentations/
Mon, 09 May 2016 19:47:51 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4832Over the next few weeks, students will be giving presentations about their research projects. Please join us for the following talks and learn more about our students’ work:

May 10, 12:30 pm, Frost Commons: Sophia Scott, Knowledge into action: Water quality, risk, local ecological knowledge, and decision making in Maine and New Hampshire’s surfing population

]]>Spring 2016 Environmental Science Colloquiumhttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4708/spring-2016-environmental-science-colloquium/
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 13:29:33 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4708Please join us for the Spring 2016 Environmental Science Colloquium. The Colloquium series is for students, faculty, and the public and we invite all to come hear the latest on environmental research and topics of interest to our region. Talks are at 4 pm in Boyd Science Center, Room 001. We look forward to seeing you!

April 20 -Have your read any good books lately? A review of some recent books in environmental history
Larry Spencer, Department of Biology, and Center for the Environment

]]>Environmental Science & Policy Teaching Assistant Positionshttps://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/4705/environmental-science-policy-teaching-assistant-positions/
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 13:06:10 +0000https://www.plymouth.edu/center-for-the-environment/?p=4705Plymouth State University (PSU), Plymouth, NH, is inviting applications for its MS program in Environmental Science and Policy (ES&P). We offer expertise in areas such as watershed ecosystems, hydrology, climate change, ecological economics, landscape ecology, and land use planning. Our curriculum emphasizes the relationships between science and policy, decision making for social and ecological sustainability and resilience, and science communication. Students in the program often collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of faculty, students, and scientists from other academic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations including organizations such as Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, White Mountain National Forest, NH Department of Environmental Services, Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Squam Lakes Association. Students also work with the Center for the Environment.

Students accepted to PSU’s MS in ESP may be eligible for graduate assistantships (GA). For academic year 2015-16, we anticipate several teaching assistantship (TA) positions. TAs will assist with undergraduate courses in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. TAs work with faculty on preparing and teaching labs, organizing and preparing field equipment, helping students in the field with monitoring equipment, driving vans, teaching a unit/module, grading assignments and lab field books, assisting with discussions, and leading study groups. A valid US driver’s license is required.

In 1991, the New Hampshire Office of State Planning completed a Squam Lakes Watershed Plan. At that time, this effort was to serve as a model management plan for New Hampshire’s lake watersheds. Now, 25 years later, we are ready to begin updating this plan. We invite you to join us on January 20, 2016 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm at the SLA Resource Center in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 1991 Squam Lakes Watershed Plan and to assist us in taking the next steps in updating this important management tool.

Much has changed in the past quarter-century, necessitating a Watershed Plan update. Not only has our landscape changed, but our understanding of lakes and watersheds has evolved. The planning process and requirements for watershed plans are also different with a stringent set of requirements. Our meeting on January 20, 2016 will serve as a jumping off point for the planning process, set to be completed by early summer 2017. We will focus on the requirements of an updated plan, the steps and resources that are necessary for creating the plan, and accomplishments to date.

The Squam Lakes Association is leading the Squam Watershed planning effort in partnership with the Center for the Environment at Plymouth State University. We welcome everyone to the January 20th meeting: local public officials, conservation organization partners, state agencies, watershed landowners, town residents, and the general public. RSVPs are requested. Please contact the SLA.

Hydrologist Dan Evans installing instruments at the top of the Eddy Flux tower. Mark Green photo.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Standing high above the hardwood tree canopy of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, a steel tower glistens in the sun. Scientific instruments mounted to the top of the 110-foot structure work non-stop, gathering data on moisture, carbon dioxide content and temperature. According to PSU Professor of Hydrology Mark Green, the Eddy Flux research tower is measuring how the forest reacts to changes in the atmosphere.

“We’re watching the forest breathing,” Green stated. “The instruments measure the carbon dioxide coming down during the day when the trees are photosynthesizing and then at night when they’re releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. It also measures how much water is being released into the atmosphere during the day. The resulting change in air temperature helps measure how the forest is responding to climate warming.”

Green continued by saying the data from Hubbard Brook tells a scientific story, and those results must be correctly communicated to adopt fact-based environmental policy changes.

“We’re documenting how the forest is responding to carbon dioxide and temperature fluctuations, but if we’re not communicating it clearly as scientists, decision makers can’t develop policies to respond to what we’re seeing.”

The $50,000 cost of the tower was paid for, in part, by the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, which has a critical interest in the health of thousands of acres of forestland in New England.

View of the core Eddy Flux instrumentation at the top of the tower with the Hubbard Brook experimental watersheds in the background. Mark Green photo.

“The forest has already shown us a lot,” said Green. “The precipitation we’ve seen this decade is a solid 15 percent higher than over the past 100 years. Whether that’s going to persist, we don’t know, but the forest definitely responds to events like that, through higher stream levels and increased potential for flooding.”

The tower also provides an extraordinary learning resource for Plymouth State students, according to Atmospheric Science and Chemistry Professor Eric Kelsey.

“Students learn about relationships between the energy, carbon and water budgets in Hubbard Brook and how they relate to forest ecosystem dynamics,” said Kelsey. “The proximity of the flux tower to PSU allows easy access for students to visit the site, learn about how the measurements are taken and then apply the concepts learned in class.”